Bradfield Park

I have to say that this part of Sydney brings back quite a lot of memories, especially since a good friend of mine took me here years ago because she, well, lived in Sydney and knew all the good spots to go and not spend any money. I have to say that it is a lot better at night (and with company) but you still get some outstanding views of the city. However, as Dan rightly points out pretty much everybody else comes here, and you generally have to put up with quite a lot of noise as well. However, if you happen to be down here (maybe because you want to check out Milson’s Point Railway Station) then you might as well take a bit more time and come for a walk down here.

The key point to note here is that you are situated under one of the world’s most iconic bridges, right on Sydney Harbour. Just breathe that in for a tick…
Ok, then you’ll notice the noise. It is rather noisy here. Screaming kids chasing pigeons around the grass; the regular ker-​chunk ker-​chunk of trains rolling by overhead; ferry foghorns saying «get the f*&^ outta my way!».
If you are looking for a place to have a quick nap, or zone out it’s probably not ideal for that, but it is relaxing and breathing in the nice cool breeze is somewhat calming.
Clearly, as others have noted, there are better places to take photos and more interesting areas to chill. We take it for granted, but it’s really not a bad spot of the world.

I love this area as there are some spectacular views of Sydney harbour here.

I would play at this park as a kid during school. It’s right under the harbor bridge and has a great view of the bay and the Sydney Opera House. Only downside to this park is that it’s on a slope so it’s hard to play sports or games on level ground. Also, since a lot of the park is hidden underneath the bridge, there are a lot of dirt spots since the grass lacks sunlight.

The Playground at Bradfield Park is sheltered from the sun by a large Fig tree though it does little to calm the wind tunnel that is Milsons Point on a bad day. It’s worth knowing that the fruits from this tree which litter the playground aren’t poisonous — it might seem obvious but to a non local it was palpitation inducing when I first saw my little one munching on one!
The park is peculiar in that its facilities seems too cover an odd age range. There’s a climbing net that suits older children and requires pre-​schooler supervision and then a smaller activity centre for tiny tots but not really anything in the middle. No swings though, which is great if you want to give the biceps a break.
Watch out for the low lying climbing net that seems to have been designed with this sole purpose of tripping up visiting grandmothers carrying Cappucinos (you can see the offending item in my photos)
The toilets nearby are a hoot. They’re the disguitingly filthy automated kind where you can perform your ablutions to music. It adds a charming comical feel as you scream ‘don’t touch anything’ to your little play mates. Truly memorable.

Noisy but beautiful, this open grassy knoll is a lovely place to lie in the sun (cider optional).
A nice walk along the water from the ferry (via Luna Park), the park is a short stroll from Kirribilli’s cafes and delis, making it the perfect picnic destination, having shopped up for picnic goods and stopped off at the bottle shop along the way.
Electric public toilets (that I had previously only encountered in Europe) sit on the top of the hill. Whilst this may be a novelty the first time (and useful I guess, if you need to use the bathroom) they aren’t the cleanest of toilets (the ones in Europe are self-​cleaning as well) and the background music and vocal instructions are a little bit creepy.
The slope of the hill seems to perfectly support your sleep in the sun, and after walking around the maze of the Kirribilli markets, this nap may just be necessary. Only don’t plan on a deep sleep — the constant throttle of the train line that runs above you may get in the way of this.

Bradfield Park boasts unbeatable harbour views, sitting directly opposite the Opera House and literally underneath the Harbour Bridge.
Its proximity to Kirribilli’s main drag make it the ideal place to take a picnic — stop off for gourmet goods at the Kirribilli Deli or grab some Thai takeaway from Stir Crazy, stroll down the hill and you’re set for a scenic meal.
There’s actually a ping pong table that somebody has donated to the park, taking up residence on the north end by Fitzroy Street — great idea, but as the area can get extremely windy, slamming the feather-​light ball back and forth is a bit of mission.
It’s also a dog-​friendly zone, but watch out from 2.30−4pm weekdays as kids from nearby schools swamp the area on their way to the bus stop and sometimes head here for after school sport activities.

Bradfield Park is a fantastic viewpoint to see Sydney’s CBD, including the Opera House, from a distance. You can of course see the bridge but as you’re directly beneath the north side of it you only really get a full picture when you walk along the waters edge away from it.
I was first taken here on a Sunday evening at dusk. The sky was orange and the light reflecting off the water was gorgeous. The grass was also scattered with other who fancied a sundowner under a bustling highway. That said it is a pretty impressive structure to get under and ponder for a while.
Mid week you’ll find suites from the local businesses eating out in the sunshine on the picnic tables.
Be warned — parking in the area is astronomical. If you go on a day that happens to not be crawling with happy snappy tourists you might be lucky to find one of the 2 hour non paying parks down one of the side streets.